diff --git a/components/ws-daemon/pkg/content/service.go b/components/ws-daemon/pkg/content/service.go
index c571d7c13574f3..e26d44d70306d6 100644
--- a/components/ws-daemon/pkg/content/service.go
+++ b/components/ws-daemon/pkg/content/service.go
@@ -288,7 +288,7 @@ func (s *WorkspaceService) DisposeWorkspace(ctx context.Context, req *api.Dispos
 
 	sess := s.store.Get(req.Id)
 	if sess == nil {
-		return nil, status.Error(codes.NotFound, "workspace does not exist")
+		return nil, status.Error(codes.NotFound, "cannot find workspace during DisposeWorkspace")
 	}
 
 	// We were asked to do a backup of a session that was never ready. There seems to have been some state drift here - tell the caller.
@@ -643,7 +643,7 @@ func (s *WorkspaceService) WaitForInit(ctx context.Context, req *api.WaitForInit
 
 	session := s.store.Get(req.Id)
 	if session == nil {
-		return nil, status.Error(codes.NotFound, "workspace does not exist")
+		return nil, status.Error(codes.NotFound, "cannot find workspace during WaitForInit")
 	}
 
 	// the next call will block until the workspace is initialized
@@ -664,7 +664,7 @@ func (s *WorkspaceService) TakeSnapshot(ctx context.Context, req *api.TakeSnapsh
 
 	sess := s.store.Get(req.Id)
 	if sess == nil {
-		return nil, status.Error(codes.NotFound, "workspace does not exist")
+		return nil, status.Error(codes.NotFound, "cannot find workspace during TakeSnapshot")
 	}
 	if !sess.IsReady() {
 		return nil, status.Error(codes.FailedPrecondition, "workspace is not ready")
@@ -725,7 +725,7 @@ func (s *WorkspaceService) BackupWorkspace(ctx context.Context, req *api.BackupW
 		// i.e. location = /mnt/disks/ssd0/workspaces- + req.Id
 		// It would also need to setup the remote storagej
 		// ... but in the worse case we *could* backup locally and then upload manually
-		return nil, status.Error(codes.NotFound, "workspace does not exist")
+		return nil, status.Error(codes.NotFound, "cannot find workspace during BackupWorkspace")
 	}
 	if sess.RemoteStorageDisabled {
 		return nil, status.Errorf(codes.FailedPrecondition, "workspace has no remote storage")
diff --git a/components/ws-manager/pkg/manager/monitor.go b/components/ws-manager/pkg/manager/monitor.go
index 9e5d80ba65f60e..e3eddcfe9d958e 100644
--- a/components/ws-manager/pkg/manager/monitor.go
+++ b/components/ws-manager/pkg/manager/monitor.go
@@ -376,8 +376,9 @@ func actOnPodEvent(ctx context.Context, m actingManager, status *api.WorkspaceSt
 		}
 
 		_, gone := wso.Pod.Annotations[wsk8s.ContainerIsGoneAnnotation]
+		_, alreadyFinalized := wso.Pod.Annotations[disposalStatusAnnotation]
 
-		if terminated || gone {
+		if (terminated || gone) && !alreadyFinalized {
 			// We start finalizing the workspace content only after the container is gone. This way we ensure there's
 			// no process modifying the workspace content as we create the backup.
 			go m.finalizeWorkspaceContent(ctx, wso)